


Death is Kind

by LenciaAnn



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Canon Temporary Character Death, Death has many forms, M/M, Mild Language, Others Mentioned - Freeform, introspective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:14:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23021560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LenciaAnn/pseuds/LenciaAnn
Summary: In his 100 years running from The Hunger, Taako has met Death 8 times.  Every time, Death takes a different form.Death is terrifying.  Death is Beautiful.  Death is kind of an asshole?  Death is kind.
Relationships: Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 63





	Death is Kind

The first time that Taako encounters Death, he is struck by the beauty of the man. The first time he dies, Death is kind, and comes in the form of an angel – white wings and everything. Gathering his soul close and whispering ‘Be Not Afraid’. And Taako isn’t afraid. Not really. He’s smart enough to figure he’s got a good chance of coming back, just like everyone else. Still, it’s not a fun gamble to make for the first time and alright, he’ll admit it, he kind of cowers from Death anyway, even as Death tries to comfort him. He’s not _afraid_ , he just uneasy. Death understands that sometimes people are taken before their time, before they feel ready. And Death is patient, kneeling, all dressed in white, while Taako babbles that he’s not ready, this isn’t going to stick anyway, probably, and can’t he just leave him in the Veil until he’s called back?

Maybe he buys enough time. Who knows how time works in the Astral Plane. Whatever the case, he ends up back on the Starblaster, in one piece, and tries to put Death out of his mind. He’s going to try his damnedest to NOT die again, so it shouldn’t be an issue.

It’s an issue. It happens again, of course it does. Really, it was inevitable. But he’s better at not dying than SOME people. Magnus.

Death is a seraph, beautiful and powerful and awe-inspiring. He’s got four large white wings, and an extra pair of eyes on the backs of his hands. Death tries to scold him a little, but when Taako flinches back, Death’s expression softens, and he sits with Taako, wings wrapped around him, and lets him talk. Babble really. But Death is patient and lets Taako take all the time he needs.

He tells Taako, most people don’t get two deaths, but it does happen. It’s okay not to be ready – many never are. But he’ll stay with Taako, and keep him company, until he is.

It’s a good enough stall tactic and so Taako talks. He talks and talks and talks. He tells Death everything. About his childhood, about his family, about Lup, and about himself. He even tells Death about the Starblaster, in pieces, because eventually he starts running out of things to tell Death. But Death listens, and while he can’t offer advice on what to do next, because, as Death says, he’s not going back, Death tries to bring him a sense of peace where he can. Once Taako is back, he almost misses the time that he spent with Death.

He really tries not to die again. They have no idea how long this is going to hold for, they have no idea which world might be the last. What if the Veil doesn’t exist in some world? Would they just go to some other kind of limbo? Magus is no help, he was dead for such a short time on the Animal planet that he didn’t even had time to check in before he was back on the Starblaster.

But it happens, and it’s dumb. It’s not even a cool death and that makes it all the more frustrating.

This time, Death is still beautiful. But Death’s wings are black – glossy and smooth. Death stands before him with a puzzled but empathetic look on his face. “I’m here to take you home,” he says. “It looks like you’ve gotten a little lost.”

He reminds Taako of a Librarian who has found out you’ve got too many books checked out and they’re all overdue. Someone for whom paperwork is a hobby. “Oh, I’m going home soon,” Taako assures him. He’s still not sure if Time is a construct here, but he’ll bullshit his way out of it the best he can anyway. What else is there to do? It’s not like he can go anywhere. The Astral Plane can’t hold him. Barry is pretty sure they’d can’t even pass through the Veil, but Taako isn’t about this particular experiment.

He asks Barry, later, what his time while dead is like. Oddly enough, Barry can’t remember. Merle keeps saying something about how he’s been touched by an Angel but his sounds female. Which is weird.

Death wears the head of a jackal next they meet. He says nothing, but carries a pair of scales in his hand. He makes Taako actually nervous for the first time, and he backs up when he approaches. Not that is does ANY good, because Death darts forward and plunges his hand into his chest, withdrawing his heart without so much as a ‘May I?’ Taako is left gasping, which is weird for a soul, which he technically knows is all he is in the Veil, as Death weighs his heart. What he’s being weighed against, he has no idea. But he wins. Wins? Wins is close enough. He wins and Death snorts and puts his heart back where it came from and turns away with a vague look of disgust.

Taako doesn’t hang around much longer, but he brings up in the next debrief that you know, DYING so many times might be doing something to them that they can’t see. So you know, maybe a _little_ more caution?

Death wears his beautiful face next they meet. But now, Death’s eyes are cold. Death stands before him, dressed all in black, and chains appear around Taako’s wrists. And for the first time, Taako is actually _scared_ of Death. He cowers from his presence, babbling on how it’s not his fault, it’s not his fault, please. Death drags him to where he only can guess the Gate between the Veil and Astral Plane exists. Taako won’t admit it, but he screams. He cries, he begs, he pleads. Death won’t listen.

And then he wakes again on the Starblaster.

This time he can’t hide it from Lup. He can never hide anything from Lup. She notices how shaken he is in a way that has nothing to do with their last death in the previous cycle. He sits on her bed, chewing his nails, and tells her about his encounters with Death.

She has no similar stories, even though she’s died even more times than him. If she thinks really, really hard, she thinks she can remember a presence. But nothing more concrete. Taako is the only one with such vivid memories of Death. “Does he remember you?” Lups asks. And… Taako shrugs. He honestly doesn’t know. He’s made no sign that he recognizes him before.

Death is a Hell Hound and leaps at Taako before he can react, ribs showing through a smoking, stinking coat, paws as big as Taako’s face. Taako tries to hold Death’s mouth shut, screams for him to listen! Stop, listen, please, down boy! Death is vengeful and here to destroy him. Taako is pretty sure that Death tried to eat his soul, but that at least is gone from his memory when he wakes.

Knowing how things with Death keep escalating, Taako starts to be more careful. The others can be reckless with their lives, completely unconcerned about going through them like pistachios, but TAAKO still isn’t sure that Death isn’t going to find a way to follow through with his threats.

So it really sucks when he beefs it again so soon after the dog one.

Death is beautiful again, and Taako is terrified. This is the 7th time now, and all sympathy that he once saw from Death is gone. Death stands before him, a soldier. He carries a black sword and while the wings are black, they are smaller and void black. “Wayward soul,” Death says to him, “You will come quietly, or you will come in pieces. The choice is yours.”

Taako does the clever thing, and runs. But those wings are not just for aesthetic. Death is FAST, and catches up with him, pinning him to the ground like a butterfly on a board with an arrow through thigh. Death looms over him, unforgiving. He does not listen, or simply does not hear. The last memory he has of Death this time, is wondering, how often as Death heard this before? Does Death silently mock him for trying to stay alive?

After Lup and Barry become litches, they say that they never even make it to the Veil anymore. Barry never saw anything anyway, and Lup’s experiences were always tame. So Taako wonders if he’s actually just the chosen one that Death is taking all their doorbell ditching out on. If so, he probably REALLY hates the litch thing.

When Taako finds himself in the Veil again, he tries to run right away. He doesn’t wait for Death to show. The last few meetings have been beyond unpleasant, and he’s not anxious to see him again. But after running for what feels like days, Death doesn’t appear.

Eventually, he stops running, and then he stops walking. Finally he just sits down in the endless vast space of the Veil and puts his head on his knees.

That’s when Death makes his grand appearance. Death is a well dressed Skeleton, and materializes behind Taako with the quiet patience of a hunter. “Are you done running yet?” Death asks. “I can do this all day. You’re welcome to run again. Please, go ahead if you think that will help. Get it out of your system. This is my realm, you can’t outrun me here. But if you wish to try, I won’t stop you.”

Death is chatty this time. And Taako looks at him for a long moment, considering at least giving it a try. “What will happen to me when I give up?” he asks, and Death chuckles.

“Once you stop running, I will take you to the Eternal Stockade where you will spend the rest of eternity atoning for your defiance of Death. Maybe, if you’re very good, we can consider reviewing your case and get you out on good behavior someday.”

Taako cracks a smile, inspite of himself. “Good behavior,” he repeats, “Now that’s something that never goes along with Taako. What if I don’t want to go?”

“Oh I’m afraid you don’t get a choice,” Death says, “I’m trying to be nice, as it were. Give you the illusion of choice. You can’t outrun Death. You’re coming with me.”

And as Taako begins to fade, he thinks, no, I’m not.

When he next meets Death, he doesn’t remember having met him before. And it’s on this side of the Veil, so they meet on more even footing. Sort of. Kind of. Death might have let them win their little game but he’s not saying.

Either way, Death is beautiful. Death is also a bit of a dork. Hey, that accent he’s had EVERY single time? Totally fake. Death loves music and fine wine. Death wonders why Taako isn’t afraid of him in the least bit. But Taako has seen all sides of Death. He has seen him as Guardian, as Friend, as Judge, and Reaper. Death is smart and clever and most certainly does not remember or recall all the times that Taako has seen him. 

Also Death actually DOES do paperwork so point to Taako for guessing that one.

Death is also lonely. People shy away from him in public, and more than one child has burst into tears at the sight of his face. Taako clings to Death’s arm, projecting all the care and affection he can, and glares at anyone who gives them a funny look. Death can be a person too! Take a picture it’ll last longer!

Death holds him like he’s precious, and creates poetry in his honor. Which is totally embarrassing, stoooop! Death welcomes all the chaos of Taako’s life – his family, his friends, his students, even the multiple cats that Taako keeps bringing home on a whim. Because Death can be surprisingly domestic and it’s so adorable that Taako really can’t get enough of it.

The silliest things make Death flustered. Trying to figure out modern currency, getting ribbed by Lup – he took her shit for FAR too long before he finally pushed back – and shopping at Fantasy CostCo. Apparently Death has lost too many times to Garfield the Deals Warlock to feel comfortable around him. He is pretty sure Garfield cheats.

Death panics over the first time his heart beats since he was infused with Divine Energy. And Taako loves to fall asleep listening to the sluggish but strong sound under his ear. Sometimes when they get home from work, Death will grab him by the hand and waltz with him around their living room, blissfully ignoring Taako’s weak complaints that he isn’t wearing the right shoes for this kind of thing, you big nerd!

Death loves to hold him in his arms, sometimes just quietly, in the moments between sunset and twilight, and whisper in his ear how _beautiful_ he is.

And Death, is so kind.

**Author's Note:**

> So I tried to edit Chapter 6 of my longer fic, Walk to Dawn on the airplane this afternoon on the way back from my work conference, and it was NOT happening. So I wrote this instead. Lol! I will try to get the next chapter for Walk to Dawn up as soon as I am able to give it the proper edit it needs.
> 
> Thanks everyone! I hope you enjoyed this!


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